Harvey: With no evidence, NCAA had no choice on Manziel

It’s interesting how many people criticize the NCAA because it is too harsh in its punishment of athletes and schools and how many criticize the NCAA because it is not harsh enough. Often, they are the same people.

Those people were critical Wednesday because the NCAA decided that Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel’s violation of a rule would cost him a suspension of merely the first half of Saturday’s season opener at College Station against Rice.

In a joint statement, the NCAA and Texas A&M did not say that Manziel was innocent of allegations that he accepted money for autographs. The only one to say that so far has been A&M Chancellor John Sharp. Not even Manziel has said publicly he is innocent, although he presumably did in a six-hour interview with the NCAA on Sunday. All the NCAA and Texas A&M said in the statement is they found no evidence.

So what they are they supposed to do, except wait to see if any evidence surfaces? The case isn’t closed, just, for now, dormant.

Some have compared Manziel’s situation to that of several Ohio State players who were suspended for five games for selling memorabilia. This is different not only because that was proven to be true but Buckeyes coach Jim Tressell learned of it and didn’t report it.

Some have compared it to that of Georgia wide receiver A.J. Green, who was suspended for four games because he sold a jersey for $1,000. He admitted it.

Deion Sanders compared it to the one-year suspension Oklahoma State wide receiver Dez Bryant received for lying to the NCAA about a dinner they had together. The operative word there is lying.

We don’t know if Manziel is lying. Neither presumably does Texas A&M nor the NCAA.